“I do not believe you.”
Lord Falconer lifted an eyebrow.
“Why not?”
“Because had you had any honesty in this, had you shown even the smallest bit of integrity, then you would have come to talk to me about all of this first,” Henry returned, taking a few steps closer to Lord Falconer. “You would have asked to borrow the money from me, rather than trying to steal it.” His friend opened his mouth and then snapped it shut again, looking away. “Instead, you used me in the same way that you are trying to use Lady Judith,” Henry continued, fire burning in the pit of his stomach. “You tell her that you care for her, that you want to marry her, but if she were to know the truth, she would discover that you care not one whit for her and seek only her dowry. No doubt you have pulled her into this scheme without her full awareness of what she is doing and why.”
Lord Falconer’s silence and the turning away of his head was answer enough to that particular question, and Henry closed his eyes again, rubbing one hand over his forehead as he thought about what he was to do next. Lady Judith would have to be told, of course, and he could not hold any blame over her head now, not since he had learned the truth from Lord Falconer. She had been as much deceived as he had been.
“She was the one who tried to steal the ring from my hand, was she not?”
Finally, Lord Falconer looked back at him.
“She tried. She was not your partner but when youdidhave to step out to her during the course of the dance, she attempted to twist it from your finger. As I have said, it came about very quickly. I saw the ring on your finger and then spoke quicklyto Lady Judith. She and I realized what we could do with such a seal and thus, she promised to try to steal it from you during the dance. I was disappointed in her failure, however – so much so that she said she would try again and promised to do it the second time.”
Henry closed his eyes again, trying to keep control of his temper, which was threatening to explode from him. The manipulation, the deceit, and the sheer selfishness that Lord Falconer was displaying in his explanation was more than Henry felt he could bear. How had he never seen this in Lord Falconer before? They were friends, were they not? And yet this was a side of his character which Henry had never once seen, before this moment.
“She and I had practiced the action beforehand, of course, but it was not as successful as she had hoped. Again, she failed and, unfortunately, you were then convinced by Miss Bosworth that someonewasattempting to steal the ring from you, which I was a little frustrated about – though I did end up agreeing and encouraging you to keep it back at your townhouse.”
“No doubt in the hope that you might steal it from me more easily there.”
Lord Falconer shrugged.
“It was only because you displayed it so easily the first night of our meeting this Season. Had you not done so, then I might have found someone else to take some money from. It is your own fault for showing that ring off!”
Henry could hardly believe what Lord Falconer was saying. It was as if everything he had said, everything he was attempting to explain was merely a deflection, a putting away of responsibility so that he did not feel any guilt whatsoever.
It was difficult to take it in.
“And now, no doubt, you have come to tell me that you knew I had attempted to take the ring from your neck this evening.”
Henry shook his head.
“No, it was not you. Again, you used Lady Judith, did you not?”
His friend chuckled.
“I may have done. She is so very willing. It seems as if she is quite in love with me and therefore, will do anything that I ask of her.”
Henry’s stomach twisted.
“When she fell into me this evening, that was her opportunity.”
“And it is not paste jewelry which she has in her possession,” Lord Falconer finished, his eyes narrowing. “It is the real talisman ring.”
Seeing no need to pretend, Henry nodded.
“Yes, she has the real one. I have no paste.”
“So you lied to me.”
A hard, callous laugh broke from Henry’s lips.
“I hardly think that you are in the position to protest! How many lies have you said to me? How many deceitful words were spoken from your lips? I do not think that you have any right to be offended.”
Lord Falconer narrowed his eyes all the more until they were nothing but slits.
“Get out of my way.”
